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Even as forwards shine, Dallas performance exposes shaky defence that may cost Thomas Tuchel and England dear come the tournament’s sharp endWhen Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 the success was built on unflinching defensive rigour and midfield discipline. Five years on, though, Tuchel’s England displayed neither of those qualities during a dreadful first half in Dallas. They kept losing the ball in dangerous areas, struggled to maintain their shape without the ball and were rocking when Croatia stung them with a second equaliser just before half-time.The vibe could hardly have been less convincing. Anthony Barry, Tuchel’s No 2, let rip in an interview with ITV, accusing England of doing all the wrong things, of playing with “a nervous energy”, of making everything “confused and complicated” against opponents well versed in making their craft and experience in midfield count.Of course, England got away with it in the end, the response in the second half astonishing, Barry’s words no doubt delivered in even stronger terms by Tuchel in the dressing room. Yet while they won their opening game in Group L thanks to a moment of breathtaking power from Jude Bellingham and a late breakaway goal from Marcus Rashford, the overall display was far from good enough. The attack spluttered in open play during those first 45 minutes and the press malfunctioned. The spaces between Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice in midfield were too big and although it was better after the break, the main takeaway is that England have no chance of winning the World Cup if they defend this badly in a potential quarter-final against Brazil.It has been easy to fall into the trap of dwelling on the big forwards during the tournament’s opening week. After blistering bursts from Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the stage was set for Harry Kane to step up Wednesday. Inevitably he delivered, scoring twice, first with a retaken penalty and then with a header from a corner. Even so England’s set-piece prowess could not detract from the structural flaws, for it was Croatia who played the silkier football during the first half and capitalised on poor defending to score two exceptional goals from open play.The jitters at the back had set in early, England’s attempt to pass their way out ending with Nico O’Reilly and John Stones conceding a corner on the right. They were thrown by Croatia’s pressing and took a while to respond. There were constant turnovers of possession, exposing the back four, and it was from a ball lost by Bellingham in midfield that Martin Baturina was able to hammer in Croatia’s first goal.The concern for Tuchel is that tournaments are rarely won without a solid defence. England can go blow for blow against some sides, but would they get away it against the very best? It feels unlikely on this evidence, meaning Tuchel’s biggest focus before facing Ghana next week has to be on tightening up at the back. Do not be fooled by the result: England were lucky. There was a stunning surge after Bellingham made it 3-2, Dominik Livakovic forced into a series of saves, but Croatia had chances to score another before Rashford killed them off.In fairness, Croatia have some dangerous forwards and are an excellent tournament team. Beating them is no mean feat and it goes without saying that Tuchel is too smart to look past the defensive frailties. They will also hope that some of the problems in midfield were down to Rice, who joined up with the squad late after the Champions League, tiring before going off midway through the second half. Yet building up Rice’s fitness will be easier than justifying Tuchel’s faith in Stones. The former Manchester City defender barely played last season, was rusty on and off the ball during his 87 minutes on the pitch and was turned too easily by Petar Sucic before the Croat teed up Baturina to whip a shot past Jordan Pickford from 20 yards.This is not a vintage England defence. O’Reilly made his debut at this level and was targeted at left-back. Reece James had issues on the other side and Ezri Konsa wobbled next to Stones. Croatia’s second goal, made by Ivan Perisic and swept in by Petar Musa, found James and Konsa positionally wanting.No doubt Harry Maguire will have something to say on his next podcast appearance. In terms of the options available to Tuchel, though, it might be wise to bring Marc Guéhi in for Stones against Ghana. These lapses are not surprising. Stones has been an incredible servant for England but his minutes have to be managed and he was turned inside out by Ollie Watkins when City lost to Aston Villa last month.A win’s a win, then? Not quite. The format means England are all but guaranteed a place in the last 32 now but Messi, Mbappé and Haaland will be licking their lips when they look at Tuchel’s defence.

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Goal against Croatia in his side’s World Cup opener was an angry one with a rising sense of inevitabilityAnd breathe again. For the opening 45 minutes under the giant Victorian train station roof at the Dallas Stadium, England produced a performance that was a bit like watching one of those YouTube videos where an awkward and frightening Chinese robot has learned how to dance like Michael Jackson.Dogged and occasionally convincing, but the kind of spectacle that does generally end with the robot falling off the stage. England didn’t just play like machines in that first half. They played like faulty machines, scared machines, contributing almost zero free-form football to a 2-2 half-time score that included two Harry Kane set-piece goals; the first a set piece from a set piece, a penalty after a corner, set piece squared.Was this going to be the story here? Is this how we’re going to go down, in a kind of singularity, the death of hope, football as units of action, deathly set moves? Tuchel called it last September. Throw-ins are back. Corners are so hot right now. In that opening half England had those parts, but nothing much else in between.At which point, the most important thing happened, not just in this game, but in Tuchel’s time with England. Credit must go to the manager for whatever he did to these players at half-time. And also to Jude Bellingham, who scored what would turn out to be not just the decisive goal in this 4-2 win, but also a moment of drive and energy that was completely at odds with everything to that point.This wasn’t quite an individualist’s goal, a dribble, or a moment of craft. It was an expression of basic sprinting will. It was an angry goal, and in exactly the right way. Bellingham took the ball in the right channel, running on to a simple pass over the top, and just kept going, veering inside, all drive and focus, with a rising sense of inevitability. He had the speed to leave two defenders mooching in his vapour trial, and the skill to produce a fine, cold, guided finish into the far corner at a full sprint.It wasn’t just that England were 3-2 up in that moment. Or that they looked like a team. More that they looked like they actually wanted to take part in a game of football, that this wasn’t just an activity to be undertaken out of fear and self‑loathing . For the next 10 minutes they swarmed all over Croatia, might have scored four, and gave a glimpse not so much of patterns of play, but of a willingness to actually do this, of the muscle, speed and ruthlessness that are undeniably there in this team.It felt right that Bellingham should be the man to kick over the console table and bring something ragged and raw to the day. It is easy to criticise him at times, given the level of his fame and status, the slight sense of confusion as to what his attributes really are, whether he has the deeper gears, the super-strengths of an elite player, or just the mannerisms and the profile.Some have suggested Bellingham is just a player of elite moments, the only answer to which is, well, he’s 22, and elite moments will do just fine thanks. We’ll take those. Not least when, as here, they can change the entire shape of the day, the energy in the room, perhaps even the way England are going to play here. With any luck the team can now breathe around him for the rest of this tournament. Most significant, by the end, with Marcus Rashford adding another, this felt like something entirely new. It was fun, free, a little rough. England can do this. Who knew?The Dallas Stadium is a genuinely epic arena, rising up out of the dead heat of Texan plain like a crash-landed alien spaceship. Inside, it’s like entering some futuristic microclimate, a place to store your secret island, your ark-full of uber humans for the coming rapture.Before kick-off the spectacle was almost overwhelming from the sealed press box high up in the gods, the huge glazed canopy roof, the red and white, the 160ft screen picking out the terrifying planetary scale heads of members of the crowd.The upper tiers were decked in the well-worn travelling England flags, the roll call of names, Huddersfield, Gillingham, Grimsby, like an alternative shipping forecast.And the opening 12 minutes were all about Harry Kane, who finally got to become a place kicker in an NFL stadium, scoring from a retaken penalty. A little later Kane got to realise his other childhood dream of scoring an Arsenal goal, heading in direct from Declan Rice’s corner following a Croatia equaliser.England stalled from there. They began to totter on their feet, circuit boards smoking. Tuchel was present here in all black, with that familiar look of some founding American settler, a goggle-eyed Dutch farmer in a straw hat out there tilling the lands. He must take credit if not for the start, then for the way England altered the energy here.And also for the balance that became apparent by the end in midfield. Whatever England achieve in the US is likely to centre on how well Rice and Elliot Anderson can drive the game. It seems Tuchel has a type in there: upright, willowy, floppy-haired right-footed Englishmen.It would be a bit of a stretch to suggest anything that happened in Dallas could amount to an act of vengeance for 2018. But England did finally wrest control here against the deathless Luka Modric, 40 years old and a more gnarled figure, but still the same gliding, bobbing miracle of balance and technique.Modric left the field soon after England’s surge. Croatia were probably always there for the taking. But there was hope here, and energy, and best of all something a little ragged and human.

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Harry Kane was in fine form while Dominik Livakovic stopped the scoreline running away from CroatiaJordan Pickford Could have done better with Baturina’s goal. Made crucial late save to keep England ahead but looked shaky. 6Reece James At fault for losing his man for second equaliser. Dangerous in attack, not so good defensively. 6Ezri Konsa Struggled in first half. Improved after break but his place could come under pressure from Marc Guéhi. 6John Stones Looked rusty and made a nervy start. Improved as the game went on, needs minutes badly. 6Nico O’Reilly Got forward at every opportunity and should have scored from a corner. A work in progress at the back. 7Elliot Anderson Kept things ticking over nicely in midfield. Excellent ball to set up Bellingham’s goal. 8Declan Rice Produced pinpoint corner for Kane’s header. Not his usual dominant self in midfield and looks fatigued after a long season. 7Noni Madueke Won England’s penalty and looked very dangerous down right flank in place of Bukayo Saka. 8Jude Bellingham Guilty of losing the ball in buildup to Croatia’s first goal. But made amends in style with a brilliant goal. 7Anthony Gordon On the periphery for most of the first half and couldn’t make an impact despite his best efforts. 6Harry Kane Played more like a quarterback than a striker at times but still equalled England’s World Cup finals scoring record. 9Substitutes: Marcus Rashford (for Gordon 72) Picked his spot brilliantly for his goal that even Livakovic couldn’t get near 7; Morgan Rogers (for Rice 72) Struggled in central midfield and looked far more comfortable further forward. Great ball to set up Spence 6; Bukayo Saka (for Madueke 72) A surprise to see him given injury concerns but played part in Rashford’s clincher 7; Djed Spence (for Bellingham 80) Should have scored moments after coming on but denied by Livakovic 6; Marc Guéhi (for Stones 87) A late introduction when the game was already won 6Dominik Livakovic Off his line too early for penalty but some unbelievable stops to keep a rampant England at bay. 9Josip Sutalo Didn’t know whether to track Kane when he dropped deep and was caught out on more than one occasion. 5Luka Vuskovic The teenager lost sight of Kane for England’s second goal but Tottenham have a real prospect on their hands. 7Josko Gvardiol The Manchester City defender had his hands full with Madueke. 6Josip Stanisic A lively presence down the right flank for Croatia and often got the better of O’Reilly. 7Luka Modric A surprise to see him give away an early penalty for fouling Madueke. But still oozes class despite his advancing years. 7Mario Pasalic Decent strike went just wide at the end of first half but lost out in midfield battle. 6Ivan Perisic Such a clever header to set up the second equaliser. Has incredible energy for a 37-year-old. 7Petar Sucic Brilliant assist for Baturina’s goal, missed a great chance late on after Pickford fumble. 7Martin Baturina Took his goal brilliantly and the Como forward caused England problems with direct approach. 7Petar Musa The FC Dallas striker volleyed past Pickford with aplomb and was a real handful for England’s defenders. 7Substitutes: Mateo Kovacic (for Modric 58) Couldn’t wrestle back control other than for a five minute period 6; Marco Pasalic (for Vuskovic 66) Almost equalised not long after coming on but was denied by Pickford 6; Igor Matanovic (for Musa 66) Could do nothing about Rashford’s goal after Croatia were carved open 6; Nikola Vlasic (for Baturina 78) Tried to inject some urgency to Croatia’s attack in the final stages 6; Andrej Kramaric (for Mario Pasalic 79) A real handful when he came on for last 10 minutes but couldn’t find equaliser 7

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Thomas Tuchel made it plain that when the stress came with the serious business of World Cup matches, he believed his England team would thrive. What had gone before, especially in the friendlies, was little more than a distraction. Here in the Lone Star state, which tallies with what England have on their shirts, it was time to make a statement about that second star.There was a fair helping of stress against Croatia, the 11th best team in the world and the highest ranked pot two nation in the tournament – particularly in the first half. It was down to defending that was simply too open and generous. A seesaw opening 45 minutes ended 2-2, Harry Kane scoring England’s goals, the first from a retaken penalty. Martin Baturina and Petar Musa replied for Croatia. England were powerful on corners. The overall sense in open play was one of confusion.And yet with the heat on, they responded. Jude Bellingham was in the mood throughout, determined to play without fear and to the point of maximum expression and it was the midfielder that tilted the contest in England’s favour with a storming run and finish.It was a powerhouse display from England in the second half. They created a fistful of chances, albeit at 3-2 it remained a little too edgy for Tuchel’s liking. Croatia knew they might need only one moment and the substitute Marco Pasalic almost provided one towards the end, Jordan Pickford saving England with a smart block.England had too much. A pleasing detail was the impact of some of Tuchel’s substitutes. Djed Spence almost made it 4-2 before Marcus Rashford did with a clinical finish – a jink inside and a low shot. The chance was laid on by another replacement, Bukayo Saka. England are up and running.It was wild at the outset, fast and loose, England guilty of messing about with their buildup play, giving Croatia hope. The pendulum swung with the early England goal and it was sparked by the sharpness and determination of Noni Madueke, whom Tuchel started ahead of Saka.After Croatia could not properly clear a Declan Rice corner, which Kane won with a deflected shot, Madueke beat Luka Modric to the breaking ball. Modric’s attempted clearance turned into a hack at Madueke and the scene was set for Kane from the penalty spot.Everybody knew what Kane was thinking about as he went through his pre-penalty routine. The critical miss in the quarter-final loss by France at the last World Cup. Incredibly, Kane was thwarted again, the Croatia goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, reading his intentions and going left to save.This time fortune smiled on the England captain. Livakovic had left his line before Kane struck the ball and, after a video assistant referee review, Clément Turpin ordered a retake. Tuchel once described the referee as “terrible” and a “1/10” performer after Turpin had sent him off in a Champions League game. Tuchel was happier with him here. Kane made the most of the reprieve, going for the same corner and watching Livakovic go the wrong way.Thank goodness for the house that Jerry Jones built or, more specifically, the roof the Dallas Cowboys owners put on this venue. It was a blazing 32C outside in Arlington but inside the dome the air-conditioning was set to 22C. It made a mockery of the hydration breaks, which were booed by the England supporters.Zlatko Dalic had preferred Mario Pasalic to Mateo Kovacic in one of the deep midfield roles and Tuchel struggled to adapt England’s press in the first half. Croatia were cohesive on the ball, able to make life hard for England and their first equaliser came as no great surprise.There was a vulnerability about England at the back and when Croatia won possession on halfway from Bellingham, they dropped a ball up the inside-right channel for Petar Sucic. He jinked inside John Stones, sending him off towards Dallas, and the layoff was whipped by Baturina into the far top corner. Pickford got a hand to it but there was too much power.Croatia’s second equaliser had a similar feel to it. From an England point of view, it was even more galling. Josip Sutalo flipped a ball over a static England backline – where was Reece James? – and Ivan Perisic was clear and able to direct a header back to the unmarked Musa. His volleyed finish was true. It cancelled out Kane’s second goal, a thumping header from another Rice corner. That time, it was Croatia’s marking that broke down.Tuchel could not be happy with the first half and his assistant, Anthony Barry, made that clear during a half-time interview. His conclusions? Too much nervous energy from England. Not enough sound decisions with the ball. England needed clarity. They needed a goal upon the restart and they got it from Bellingham. Who else?Croatia could not live with his surging runs, his desire to get into areas that made life as uncomfortable as possible for them. It was a ball up the inside-right from Elliot Anderson that appeared to be for Madueke only for Bellingham to take over. He did that a lot. He was too quick for the covering Sutalo. The low shot was angled perfectly into the far corner.It was the prompt for England to turn the screw. For a crazy spell, it felt like a school game, Tuchel’s players too big and too strong for Croatia. There was a flood of chances for them leading up to the hour – clear ones, as well – only for the finish to prove elusive. Nico O’Reilly blew two headers from Rice corners, Anthony Gordon going close on one of the rebounds. Kane had further sightings. Bellingham had another. So did Rice.It was an entertaining spectacle, much to like in attacking terms from an England point of view. The result was the best bit.

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Manager confident match will showcase side’s abilities‘We should play brave and to the strengths of the players’Thomas Tuchel has said the occasion and tension will bring the best out of England when they open their World Cup campaign with an ­awkward game against Croatia on Wednesday.England cruised through ­qualifying, but have a patchy record against top opposition and much to prove before their first encounter in Group L. They have faced top-20 sides on three occasions under Tuchel, drawing with Uruguay and losing to Japan and Senegal.Yet Tuchel is confident ­England will have a different mindset in a competitive game. The German cannot wait for his first World Cup to begin and believes his side will be ready for the challenge posed by ­Croatia under the Dallas Stadium roof.“Because it’s not a friendly match, we will not try stuff,” England’s head coach said. “We will rely on us and the occasion and the tension will bring out the best in us.”Tuchel’s aim is for England to play with the intensity of a Premier League side. “We should play brave and play to the strengths of the players,” he said. “I feel clearly that the players want it and that they are successful in club football like this.“They compete in the ­strongest league, most of them. The others who are not in the league ­compete in the highest level in Europe and ­Champions League and they play in brave and active teams. It makes things excited and creates a ­certain energy and we need a connection with our fans who are here, with the fans at home, to create something special.”England’s carefully planned buildup involved them ­acclimatising to the heat by flying to a Florida for a pre-tournament training camp two weeks ago. They have stepped up preparations at their base in Kansas City and Tuchel, who is expected to start Jude Bellingham over Morgan Rogers at No 10, feels his players require no special messaging about their World Cup starting here.“They know,” he said. “I don’t feel any emotional fuel is needed to make everyone clear what is happening. We know.“I see it even as an advantage that we’re very focused on what we can influence. We don’t put it in the ­bigger picture – just put it where it is. Go day by day, influence what you can ­influence. If we can stay there, I think we have an even ­better chance to compete and perform on our highest level.”England could overpower an ­ageing Croatia side, but they must be wary of the craft of Mateo Kovacic and the 40-year-old Luka Modric in midfield. The 37-year-old Ivan ­Perisic is another danger and scored in ­Croatia’s semi-final win over ­England at the 2018 World Cup.“It is a very difficult start,” Tuchel said. “It is an experienced team, an experienced coach, in tournament knockout football. It’s a top football nation and a very strong opponent. The centre of gravity in their game has dropped a bit, into a back three, we expect.“From a midfield three, which was the core of Croatia, it has only Kovacic and Modric still there. They’re ­playing in a midfield two now. They play with fluid No 10s and wing-backs. But the core is still Modric and Kovacic.“Then they have Perisic, who is always a threat with the crosses. That is one of the most dangerous crossers in world football, maybe – left foot, right foot, he does not even need space to put a cross in. It is ­remarkable. And they are strong in set pieces”.England have been working on their own set-pieces and looked in good shape when they thrashed Costa Rica last week.There are few selection headaches for Tuchel. He must decide whether to risk Bukayo Saka, with the winger troubled by an achilles problem. Noni Madueke is an option to start instead of his Arsenal teammate while Ezri Konsa and John Stones are expected to get the nod over Marc Guéhi in central defence.The full-back Tino Livramento is out of the tournament after ­suffering a muscular injury in ­training; Tuche said scans indicated the Newcastle man would be out for four-to-five weeks. ­Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah has been called up in his place, a move that will free up Jarell Quansah to be a full-back option on both sides, together with Djed Spence. Chalobah will come in as a centre-half option.The squad will play a behind-closed-doors game at their Kansas City base on Thursday, Tuchel said, to keep the players who do not get many minutes against Croatia ticking over. The opposition could be the local MLS team, Sporting Kansas City. England did the same thing after their friendly against Costa Rica last Wednesday, when they had a training match against Miami United in Florida the next day. England’s second World Cup group game is not until Tuesday, against Ghana at Boston Stadium.“It is true that we try to play an in-house match after Croatia to use the time [well], we have many days [before the Ghana game],” Tuchel said. “It can give the players who don’t play minutes an extra match load. We did it after the Costa Rica game and we do it one last time on the day after Croatia.”